BACOLOD City – The city government’s Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) is calling on parents who feel overwhelmed by parenting responsibilities to approach their local health centers or the DSSD office for support and guidance.
This appeal comes in the wake of two incidents of abandoned infants in the city.
According to Alma Gustilo, head of DSSD, on the evening of August 21 local authorities discovered two male infants in separate locations — Barangay Alijis and Barangay Mansilingan.
The infant found in Barangay Alijis was deceased, with signs of advanced decomposition.
Police Station 7 is pressing for an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death, which will aid in any legal actions once the parents are identified.
In a contrasting turn of events, the infant found along the road in Hacienda Guanzon, Barangay Mansilingan, was alive when discovered by three individuals.
The case gained attention on social media, prompting relatives to come forward.
The baby has since been placed in the custody of his grandparents, who provided his birth certificate as proof of relation.
Gustilo emphasized the readiness of the DSSD to assist parents struggling with childcare, aiming to prevent future occurrences of abandonment.
She also highlighted the legal consequences of abandoning a child, which could include charges of child abandonment and abuse./PN
